Study of Japanese Iris

This flower is quite majestic...Its pedals are so pronounced and powerful. They almost seem comforting, draping like curtains or a big fluffy blanket. I had a hard time shading such a broad pedal, and I think the sketch paper I used had something to do with that. The pedal to the right stooped over seemed to be my favorite. The curls and bends from the pedal were quite interesting to sketch.

It bugs me when...

My students are journaling right now, so I thought I would do the same. Our topic is about what bugs me. Mostly, I think the biggest thing that bugs me is when I get in trouble for painting too much. It's difficult to balance all the hats I wear: husband, father, teacher, and artist. And they have to go in that order. If I love my wife then I show my son how to be a good husband. Teaching and art seem to take a back seat when you have a grumpy son or a sick wife. When I paint my mind is elsewhere, and that's hard on both Amy and Ben. Just yesterday, I was getting a piece ready for a local show. I just wanted maybe 30 minutes to clean up the sides and little spots, but Ben gave me about 10. After minute 11 he needed his daddy. He was pushing me away from the painting wanting me to spend time with him. So yeah, I was bugged. But his needs come before my own.

Long time no speaky

I want to keep up with my blog a bit more, but work has been crazy these past few weeks. As far as art is concerned, I've been excited about the new works I've been developing. I'm finding how much I enjoy creating floral works. Flowers, in terms of art, have their own personalities. You can show a lot of emotion by the way they're positioned on the canvas. Showing a bright and bold flower in the foreground with little to no stalk brings the flower up close to the viewer. Those are the types of things I've discovered just by painting this week. It's exciting. I'm enjoying working on a commission from a previous buyer. I've worked on it daily, and I'm happy with my progress so far.

On a field trip, I picked up a book on Texas wildflowers. The book has been quite inspirational in the different types of floral pieces I can create.

Here is a link for the book: 1oo Texas Wildflowers

Lily Spiral in Progress

After a disappointing experience with the Cowboys...I got busy. From the sketch of a lily, I was interested in how the flowers crisp corners and points seemed to curl into infinity. From the curl found in a nautilus shell, or inside a canna leaf, deriving from a point that humans can't visibly see is truly unbelievable. Nature has so many quirks. This just gives me more motivation to put it down on canvas.
As Christians, we believe in living forever. Our physical bodies die away, but our soul remains. Again, that stuff really wigged me out at a young age. If you sit and think about it, there is never an end. I will continue forever. At the risk of sounding like a nutty painter, eternity seems to be so excepted in Christianity. Does this bother anyone? The only satisfaction I derive is knowing I'll praise Him forever.